Aquaman Annual #4: Aside from an unexplained Mandatory Theme, it's a good story, a better closure for PAD than #47 was. However, Giarrano's fill-in art is really quite bad. Mildly recommended. $2.95/$4.25Cn

"Okay, I Love You, Buh-bye!" Award to Aquaman Annual #4

Aquaman Annual "Dead Calm": I think the only thing more annoying than mandatory Annual themes are mandatory Annual themes were aren't EXPLAINED. Not even a text page at the end, or a footnote, or anything. I got the impression that for one night the dead were rising, and going away at the end of the night, but no hint why this was happening, if it was happening everywhere at once or if these were scattered events, etc. Nor do I want to buy a bunch of other Annuals just to find out.

Fortunately, the story itself really doesn't hinge on what happens elsewhere. At least, I didn't get that impression. PAD uses this to revisit some of the Atlantis Chronicles history and give Arthur and Garth some closure in their lives...which is good, considering that I'm not alone in having abandoned the title with #48. It's also rather cheap compared to recent DC Annuals, a mere $2.95. Unfortunately, the art is also rather cheap, with Vince "will fill in for food" Giarrano on the art, despite the credits on the cover. Note: while there's no editorial note to explain this, I'm betting this story takes place before the Triton arc, since the Shalakite priest is in a non-vaporized state.

The story really has three main threads. The A Plot, where the original brothers Orin and Shalako bring their eternal struggle to the present. Orin, the technocrat, is rather embarrassed to be coming back via magic. }-> Arthur Jr. is sent to lure Arthur away from the city before Shalako can make his move, to save him from the mind control attempts. Shalako and his historical ilk pit the citizens of Poseidonis and Tritonis against each other to feed their dark gods. The Orins team up to break up the fight, and in the end Arthur gets to have a little bit of closure regarding Arthur Jr.

In the B Plot, Tula comes back again, for one last night with Garth as Dolphin sleeps. While I think the Tempest series resolved most of the issues the two had, you have to admit it ended abruptly for the couple then. This time they get a little more of a chance to talk.

The C Plot has a rather New Jersey-like couple reunited as the murdered husband comes back to haunt his wife...by just being the way he was before he died (which is why she killed him). Turns out that not every haunting of this night was due to the Mandatory Plot Device...sometimes a guilty conscience is enough, since the husband doesn't go away with daybreak.

A somewhat better final issue for Peter David's Aquaman than the abrupt #47 cliffhanger.